Bayfield Boatyards Sailboat

Enrolling with the Royal Navy at age ten, Admiral Henry Bayfield was no stranger to war. As with many boys of his time, he went to battle and, like many of them, experienced wounds along the way. After four years in the Navy, at age 15, Bayfield was rated midshipman. His first visit to Canada was that same year – 1810 – and in the summer of 1816, Bayfield returned to survey lakes and rivers alongside Captian William Fitzwilliam Owen.

To defend the British claim to Canada against the Americans and allow safe navigation for new immigrants, the British commissioned Bayfield to survey the east coast of Canada in 1817. Naming him the admiralty surveyor for North America, Bayfield became the first to conduct a detailed survey of the Great Lakes, along with the St. Lawrence River. Due to his accuracy and detail, nautical surveys still refer to Bayfield’s charts today. It’s fitting that the Village of Bayfield and Bayfield River were named in his honour.

Fast forward to today… Ted Gozzard started the Bayfield Boat Yard Ltd. in 1971 in a shed behind the United Church on Hwy #21. Initially, Ted repaired and altered boats in Bayfield harbour. But eventually, he began to build small dinghies, canoes, and farro concrete boats. With a need for space, Gozzard moved to a larger location. At the time, it was a grey building on the harbor’s north side; today, it’s where you’ll find the Bayfield Marina. A 43’ gaff schooner called “Hagdown II” was the first build in this location, crafted for Kelvin Jervis. While under the new name (“The Jade”), this boat still sails today!

When it became viable to manufacture fiberglass, the pleasure craft industry expanded, and the shop required another upgrade. The Bayfield Boat Yard moved to larger premises in Vanastra, Ontario.

In 1981, at its peak, the yard employed 65 people with a goal of 200 yachts per year. It was one of the largest boat manufacturers in Canada. But sadly, after a fire and a recession, the business closed in 1988. Today, the Bayfield name is known and respected in harbours worldwide. Word has traveled that a 25’ Bayfield boat was even spotted in a South African harbour.

After the closure of The Bayfield Boat Yard, Ted Gozzard and his wife Jan started Gozzard Yachts Inc in 1988. The company, now run by Ted’s son, Mike, and grandson, Robin, is based in Goderich and builds large high-end yachts.

Today the Bayfield River harbour is the largest pleasure craft marina on the Canadian side of Lake Huron. The mouth of the Bayfield River forms a natural sheltered harbour. The locals also consider that this area offers some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world.

Represented here is the Bayfield Boatyards Sailboat, built by a Canadian boat builder Bayfield Boat Yard Limited originally based in Bayfield, Ontario, and later in nearby Clinton, Ontario. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of fibreglass sailboats. The company was founded by Ted Gozzard in 1970 and continued in business until a plant fire forced its closure in 1988.